The Besieged Fortress (2006) User Reviews

Termites! Now with Plot!

[Blackwing-2 · 8/10 · 14 February 2009]

A disastrous chain of events leads a colony of termites to the brink of destruction. Narrated as if the termite mound is a medieval castle, this movie puts a twist on the old premise of "Wow, look. Bugs." It follows the termites trying to maintain their 'fortress' in the face of devastating calamities, culminating in an epic battle between the termites and a swarm of vicious ants. The narrating really sets the tone for this movie, The portrayal of the termites as desperate medieval defenders really sets it apart from your regular nature documentaries (I've watched a lot of those as a kid and still do).

In short, I liked it, and I think most fans of documentaries about wildlife and insects would too.

Science fiction?

[g-89622 · 8/10 · 26 December 2021]

It is poetic, romantic, and thrilling. It has both a dramatic effect and a realistic meaning. Epic War of the Ants. Doubt: Is this a documentary or a science fiction film? Or a conformable sheet?

An impressive and epic documentary.

[kevinxirau · 9/10 · 2 November 2011]

When I noticed this film, I was naturally curious because I loved seeing ants and termites slaughter each other (especially in the movie "Antz"), so I decided to check it out. I was totally blown away.

Believe it or not, this film actually flows like a story. A young couple, a king and queen termite, settle down and build a grand empire within a massive mound. When the mound suffers damage from rain, fire, and a falling branch, the scent from the termite colony is carried off by wind and catches the attention of a swarming driver ant colony led by their "black queen." Now a war is waged as ant and termite fight a battle of minuscule proportions for the survival of their very colonies.

I was amazed on how well made this was. It was action packed and, surprisingly, emotionally compelling. You actually feel for the termites that live in the colony as they struggle and battle for survival while the driver ants are given a rather menacing atmosphere that is complemented by the music. The intricate camera work used to film all this is to be commended.

With the narrator being my only, and minor, gripe, this is probably the best documentary I have ever seen in my entire life. Check out this wonderful film and enjoy.

Truth makes a better movie then fiction.

[denmaru · 9/10 · 15 August 2010]

They say truth is stranger then fiction, but in the case of "Besieged Fortress", truth makes a better movie then fiction. This documentary uses excellent quality video to tell an exciting story revolving around one of the most famous conflicts that routinely occurs in the insect kingdom. Ants vs. termites. The movies begins with the termite mating season and a young couple sneak away to build their own colony, which will become the focus of the film. Meanwhile, an army of nomadic ants are cutting a path across the plains and slowly making their way to the termites nest. A series of tragic but simple events like a tree limb falling on the colony and a severe rainstorm leave our hero termites vulnerable to the ants. Finally the ants attack and all seems lost as they reach the termite queen's chamber, but another rainstorm comes and washes most of the ants away and the ones left trapped in the nest are quickly defeated. My favorite part of the movie is when the ant queen, called the 'Black Queen' in the film sees her army has lost and flees. But her vanguard are intercepted by a group of warrior termites and the evil ant queen is killed while the termite queen remains safe. Don't you just love it when the villain gets their just desserts in a movie? The only thing I didn't like about this film is there were a few scenes that could have used a little more narration. All the events in the film are accompanied by fairly clichéd music, playing peaceful songs when showing the termites and dramatic scary music when showing the ants. If you love documentaries, especially ones about insects, you can't pass up a chance to see this film.